Projectile for destroying airships, balloons, and other aerostats.



fR, A. FEAHERSTUNE-SMHH M. B. COOPER. PRO-15mm Foa DEsRm/m@ AmsHlPs, BALLooNs, AND oHER AreoSATs.

` APLICTiON FILED SEPT, I9. 1914.

TED STATES reni OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FROJEC'TILE FOR DESTROYING AIRSHIPS, BALLOONS., AND OTHER AEROSTATS.

Application filed September 19, 1914.

To @ZZ y07mmy 'it may concern:

Be. it known that we, REGINALD ARTHUR Fmirnnas'roNr.-SMiTH and MEHERJIBHOY BCMNJI COOPER, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residents of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectlles for Destroying Air-ships, Balloons, and other Aerostatsg'and we do hereby declare the tollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the .sa-me.

This invention relates to improvements 1n projectiles for destroying airships, balloons and other aerostats (hereinafter for convenience referred to as ail-ships) having bags or envelops inflated with light gas such. as hydrogen or hydrocarbon gas for keeping 'them aioat.

The present invention 1s characterized by constructing the projectile with one or more passages for gas from the airsh-ip gas bag and outside air or oxygen to pass along to form an explosive mixture in the bag or inner and outer envelops of the airship and .in the projectile, by adapting the projectile with means for automatically igniting the explosive mixture to destroy the airship, by pra riding the projectile with means for forcing a blast of air into the gas bag of the airsliip to hasten the production of the exsive mixture, and by adapting the proie with means for limiting its penetration into the gas bag of the airship, as hereparticularly described with refertiie accompanying diagrammatic ings in which p figure l is a sectional elevation, showing the projectile piercing the outer and inner envelope of an airship; Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, are sectional plans on AAT-A, B-B, C-C, and D D, Fig. 1. Figs. 6, 7,8 and 9 are sectional elevations of modifications.

According to the construction represented, the projectile, 6, is constructed with an upward air passage, 7, and a downward gas passage, 8, separated by a partition, 9. The air passage, 7, opens, at l0, through the Vnose ot' the pr jectile and communicates with a. blowerfl'l, driven for example by an electric motor, 4.0, connected by leads, 4l, to a bat- .l l2, in the tail of the projectile, see

'z fflnn .ie `slower draws in air through Specification of Letters Patent.

f the projectile.

l ot' a trembler coil,

Patented May 11, 1915.. Serial No. 862,501.

openings, 13, in the tail, and is controlled by a switch, 14, which, before the gun or the like discharging instrument is loaded, is held open by a` set screw or the like, 34, engaging al pin, 33, )ivoted to the switch. When the gun is Ito be loaded'the set screw is removed and the pin pressed in toinsert vVhile in the gun, the switch is held open by thepin, 33, contacting with the bore of the gun. In lieu of the set screw, the pin may be held open by a cartridge case. The switch is closed when the projectile `is discharged, by a spring, 35.

It will be obvious that in lieu of an electric motor to drive the blower, a clockwork motor, 12, may be used connected up by a suitable transmission, 43. The motor may be controlled bya pin, 44, engaging a ratchet wheel, 45, on the motor spindle. rlhe pin is actuated by a spring,-'l7,which releases the pin when the projectile is discharged. The pin may be heldin position in a similar manner to the pin,

i 46 is the winding spindle of the motor, see Fig. 7

The blowermay consist of an involute casing, 36, and a fan runner or blades, 37,

the intake, 38, being at the side, and the discharge, 39, at the periphery, see Fig. 7.

' he gas passage, 8, opens at one end, at 15, through the nose of the projectile, and at the other end through a nozzle, 1G, directed toward an igniter in a chamber, 18, open at the side to the atmosphere, at ll), and to the air passage at 20. The gas passage, 8, also opens at the side, at Q1. n

The igniter may, for example, be a piece of platinum black or the'like catalytic agent, 17, held down by clamps, 22, see Fig. l; or a piece of pyrophorous metal, 48, and a friction wheel or striker, 49, on a spindle, 50, driven by a. worm, 5l, and worm wheel, 52, from the blower spindle, see 'Figi 8; or an electrically heated wire or a spark gap, 53,

5l, connected to the battery, 1:2, by wires, 56, see Fig. 9.

all non-return valve, 23, may be provided in the air passage, '7, to prevent downliow of the air while traveling through the atmospherc, and of the gas in the airship.

The nose of the projectile may be luted or equivalently former, so that the ridges,

'Wings open,

may be omitted 26 are Wings or the, like lateral projections, pivoted, at 27, in recesses, 28, at the sides ofthe projectile,` to limit the penetration of the projectileinto the gas'bag of the airship. Their action is represented inlFig.

"1, Where the dotted line, represents theouter envelop of the airship, and g/ represents the inner envelop or gasv bag. The Wings may be adjustable vor set at different distances along the projectile by being pivoted on slides, 29, in the recesses, 28, and secured by screws, 30, engaging holes, 31, or 32, see Fig. 6.

The operation of the projectile is as follows z-Upon being fired from a gun or other instrument, the blower-is started, and the and upon. striking the airship the projectile penetrates into the envelop, a', and y, and is arrested as shown. The air blast from the blovver then passes into the gas envelop, y, to form an explosive mixture with the hydrogen.v Hydrogen also passes from the gas envelop, y, 'through the flute furrovvs, 25, and through the gas passages, 8, and 21, into the air envelop, to form an explosive mixture with the air. When the explosive mixture reaches and passes through the nozzle, 16, into the chamber, 18, Which has the air inlet, 20, and the vent,v19, the mixture is exploded by the igniter, 17, and fires back through the gas passages,.8, 21, and 15, so that explosions occur in both inner and outer envelops.

It Will be obvious that for destroying a single chamber airship, the openings, 21,

or closed before the projectile is discharged.

In the case of a single envelop airship, a blower or its equivalent is necessary in the projectile to introduce a blast of air into the gas bag to produce an explosivevmixture there.

What We claim as ourl invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l 1. A. projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a gas igniter in` communication With the gas passage, openable stops at the exterior of the shell, and

an air blower in communication with the air passage. y

2. A. projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a gas igniter in communication with the gas passage, openable stops at the exterior of the shell, and

inaeee means for forcing a blast of air aloi the air passage.

'3. A proj ectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell-having an air passage extending therethrough toward the 4. A projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a `gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, the passages being in communication, a gas igniter in A communication with the gas passage, openable stops at the exterior ofthe shell, and' means for forcing a blast of air .along the.

airl passage.

5. Aprojectile'for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a nozzle at the tail end of the gas passage, a chamber open to the atmosphere and to the air passage, a gas igniter in the chamber, the nozzle being directed toward the gasigniting means, openable stops at the exterior of the shell, and means for forcing a blast of air along the air passage.

6. A projectile for destroying airshi-ps and the like comprising a shell having an a1r passage extending therethrough toward the `y nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a gas igniter in communication with the gas passage, adjustable stops at the exterior of the shell, and means for forcing a blast of air along the air passage.

7. A projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a catalytic gas igniter in communication With the gas passage, openable stops 'at the exterior of the shell, and means for forcing a blast of air along the air passage.

8. A projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a gas igniter in communication With the gas passage,

openable stops at the exterior of the shell,

means for forcing aj blast of air along the air passage, and iutes on the nose of the projectile forming gas and air channels.

9. A projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a gas igniter in communication with the gas passage, openable stops at the exterior' of the shell, means for forcing a blast of air along the air passage, and a non-return valve in the air passage.

10. A projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nos@ A:afl and a gas passage extending therethroagh oward the tail end, a gas igniter in communication with the gas passage, openable stops at the exterior of the shell, an air blower in communication with the air passage, means for driving the blower, and means for controlling the driving means.

1l. A, projectile for destroying airships anfl the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail enti, agas igniter in communication with the gas passage, openable stops at the exterior of the shell, an air blower in communication with the air passage, means for driving the blower, means projecting through the Walls lof the shell for controlling the driving means, and resilient means for releasing the controlling means.

' 12. A projectile for destroying airships and the like comprising a shell having an air passage extending therethrough toward the nose end 'and a gas passage extending therethrough toward the tail end, a gas igniter in communication with the tail end o1u the gas passage, openable stops at the exterior of the shell, an air blower in communication withl the tail end of the air passage, me chanical means for driving the blower, and means projecting through the walls of the shell for controlling the driving means, said controlling means releasing the driving means when not heldin engagement therewith.

ln witness whereof We allix our signatures, in presence of two subscribing witesses.

REGINALD ARTHUR FEFIHERSTONE-SMITH. MEHEHJIBHOY BOMANJI GOPER.

7Witnesses Ammin) SHAY, H. D. JAMESON. 

